Inspector Praises School - Gosford Hill School

5 

June 2010 / Issue 8 

Newsletter of Gosford Hill School 

Mathematics & Computing College 

“Proud to be part of the Kidlington Partnership” 

Inspector Praises School 

„Good‟ judgement shows further improvement 

During the first week back after the mid term break 

an Ofsted inspector came into the school on a 

subject visit. An HMI spent two days in the school 

looking in detail at our Art Department. Although the 

official findings are still to be published the inspector 

praised the leadership of the department and 

commented on how the school was clearly making 

progress. The official judgement is expected to be 

GOOD overall. 

During the visit, the inspector observed a number of 

classes and spoke at length to groups of students. 

She said the students gave a very good account of 

themselves and clearly were enjoying the subject. 

Congratulations to the Art department on such a 

positive result and for helping the school continue to 

improve. 

Year 5 families visit Gosford 

Gosford Hill welcomed over 100 parents with Year 5 children to the school for an informal meeting. 

Families from our primary partner schools and beyond heard from both staff and students about work 

at the school and transition arrangements. 

This was the first time we had invited Year 5 students into the school and feedback was very positive. 

The families will be invited to attend a more formal event in September when their children will be in 

Year 6. 

Learning Continues 

There is plenty of learning still to do in our final term and many activities to look forward to. Year 7s are 

preparing for Marlow camp, while the rest of the school are anticipating a rich blend of learning 

opportunities during enrichment week. Our annual celebration week will also take place (5 th -9 th July), 

along with a major new community event on 14 th July– details to follow. 

Meanwhile the school continues planning for the next academic year with an updated School 

Development Plan, schemes of work and calendar of meetings and events. 

I hope you enjoy this major edition of „Gosford Times‟ celebrating the wide variety of learning taking 

place at Gosford Hill. It is a true reflection of our young people‟s desire to improve, and the dedication 

of the staff. 

Dr Stephen Bizley

Maths Faculty News 

Junior Maths Challenge 2010 

In April 2010, 57 Year 7 and Year 8 students took part in a national competition organised by the United 

Kingdom Mathematics Trust. 

The students performed very well with 5 students achieving a gold certificate, 13 a Silver Certificate and 10 

a Bronze Certificate. Congratulations to Lewis Cole from Year 7 EERE who achieved Best in School and a 

Gold Certificate. 

In Year 7, 3 Silver Certificates were received by Helen Phipps, Charlie Akers and Jack Millard. Bronze 

Certificates were awarded to Sam Butler, Ellishia Chard, Rebecca Hepworth, Jessica Kumar and Philippa 

Smith. 

In Year 8, Ben Dudgeon, James McKendrick, Sophie Woolford and Bilal Jan all achieved Gold Certificates. 

Ten students were awarded a Silver Certificate: Victoria Rodway, Todd Stanley, Martha Sykes, Pilsun Eu, 

Aaron Cawte, Tom Brown, Jake Wray, Lucy Truman, Max Bensley and Annie Mack. Bronze Certificates 

were received by Elizabeth Nobbs, Finn MacCormick, Angus Nicolson, Hugh Nicolson and Kamran Afzal. 

Well done to all students who took part! 

Ruth Sandland – Team Leader, Mathematics Faculty 

Maths lessons from John Mason 

Professor John Mason is an inspirational figure in 

Maths education. He is the author of Thinking 

Mathematically and many other books which offer 

ways in which Maths problems can be used to foster 

deep mathematical thinking. John recently spent a 

day with the Maths Faculty and treated most of Year 

11 students to a lesson in his own inimitable style. 

Students watched as spinning triangles and number 

clouds offered new perceptions of geometry and 

algebra. Not all the “wows” were from the students 

as teachers also enjoyed his insights and methods. 

As one Year 11 student said, “The triangle made me 

think of area in a different way and now I really get 

the idea.” 

Jo Murray – Mathematics Faculty 

i-progress at Gosford Hill School 

The i-progress internet Maths package has proved popular with students at Gosford Hill School. All Key 

Stage 3 and Year 10 students now have personal accounts and can try assessment tasks both at school 

and at home. Students have found i-progress easy to use and enjoy the facility to replay questions and sort 

out problems. The ability to see a summary of all their efforts has proved motivational. A typical student 

comment has been “I‟m going to try the Level 6 topics until they all turn blue.” The data-adaptive questions 

are also particularly useful. Students realise that the questions become more difficult as they become more 

successful and enjoy this aspect. “It‟s getting harder because I‟m getting better.” Teachers too can see a 

snapshot of student progress at any time. 

Another interesting development is that several students are trying the Level 1 and 2 activities with their 

younger siblings. Our hope is that our future Year 7 students will be keen Mathematicians before we even 

get started. 

Please email me if you have any queries. 

Professor John Mason posing a question for Year 11 

Jo Murray – Team Leader, Mathematics Faculty (jo.murray@gosford-hill.ocnmail.net) 

Newsletter 2

Top secret! 

Code breaking was the theme of the Maths Enrichment activities for Years 8 and 9. Students tried tasks 

ranging from encoding messages with the ancient Greek scytale to making Caesar Shift ciphers to break 

the code used by Julius Caesar. 

Students worked in groups to decode a message from Mary, Queen of Scots. Mary wrote in code as she 

was plotting the assassination of Elizabeth I. Unfortunately for Mary, as our students were able to 

demonstrate, the code can be broken by frequency analysis, and Mary paid the ultimate price for using an 

inadequate code. 

Students succeed in 

decoding Mary‟s letter 

Student response to the tasks was enthusiastic: “It was fun to use maths to understand secret messages” 

and “I didn‟t know how important code breaking was in winning both World Wars”. 

Jo Murray – Team Leader, Mathematics Faculty 

The scytale (top left) is a cylinder around which a 

strip of leather is wound. The message is written 

across the leather. When the strip is removed the 

letters are jumbled up. Greek messengers would 

carry the strip to the recipient who could decode 

the message by wrapping the strip around a 

matching scytale. (Dates back to 7 th Century BC.) 

Julius Caesar encoded messages using 

substitution. He shifted the alphabet along three 

places, replacing A with D, B with E etc. Other 

shifts can be used, but there are only a total of 25 

possible shifts before returning to the original 

alphabet. Caesar used a device known as the 

Caesar shift wheel (bottom left) to help with 

encoding messages. The inner wheel can be 

rotated to allow easy coding and decoding of 

messages. 

Two Year 8 students with 

Caesar Shift wheels they 

made and then used to 

decode a secret message. 

Newsletter 3

Year 10 Maths and ICT at Work Day 

Maths and ICT at Work Day on Friday 7 May 2010 gave students the opportunity to find out about Maths 

and ICT in the workplace. There is a national concern among employers about finding students with the 

Maths and ICT skills that are needed. We are extremely grateful to the businesses and speakers who 

gave their time and expertise on the day: The Navy, Fire Service, Darke & Taylor, Oxford Radcliffe 

Hospital, Cobham, Uvintegration, Holiday Inn, Solaflair, Janet Warren and Symm & Co. 

The Navy 

Colin Mould, a submariner, talked to students about life on board a submarine and the ways in which 

Maths and ICT are used in the Navy from basic provisioning of boats to the cutting edge communications 

systems used. Students watched a film about life on board a submarine. They learned that each person 

has a primary and secondary role and the logistics of preparing four meals a day for around 120 crew. 

Students calculated the number of sausages required to feed the submariners for a period at sea and had 

the opportunity to make telephone calls using a new satellite phone. 

Colin explained that when he joined the Navy as a trainee he did not need any qualifications and therefore 

did not finish his exams. However, he soon realised once he was in the job that to progress and be 

promoted, he DID need qualifications and so had to return to college to complete these while holding down 

his full time job. He told the students not to make the same mistake but to work hard and get as many 

qualifications as possible while at school to give them as much choice as possible in their careers, not just 

when they leave school, but in later years. 

Students asked many interesting questions. This was a great thought-provoking and interesting session 

enjoyed by the whole group. 

Symm & Co 

Roger Pilcher from the construction company Symm & Co. 

shared how he uses maths and ICT in his construction business. 

Symm are a 195 year old company who specialise in 

construction and restoration of old buildings and interiors. They 

have done a great deal of work on the listed buildings in Oxford 

and renovated Exeter College Chapel in 1857. Their varied 

work has included renovating an old castle and dropping a 

concrete staircase into a New York penthouse using a 100ft 

crane. 

Students had an opportunity to think about their dream homes and then hypothesise about what building 

equipment would be needed. They used spreadsheets to do some of the cost calculations. It was a great 

opportunity for students to think about how they could make some of their dreams reality, and what would 

be involved in doing so. 

Holiday Inn 

Students worked as a hotel team gaining an understanding of how hotels price cost their rooms. They 

worked out the total revenue required and how much each room would need to cost based on a specific 

occupancy rate. Ian Child from the Holiday Inn provided the mathematical challenges. 

Cobham 

Cobham is a company specialising in software for specific physics and engineering modelling. Chris Riley 

showed students applications of this software and how it links Maths, IT and some exciting physics. 

Newsletter 4

The Fire Service 

Amanda Readman and Will Savage led a hands-on session, demonstrating and involving students in some 

of the activities undertaken by fire fighters. 

The group really enjoyed this session 

with three of the students stating that it 

is now a career they would consider for 

themselves in the future. 

Will emphasised the need for good basic maths 

skills in the fire service which can mean the 

difference between life and death, for example 

when calculating the correct quantity of water and 

hose length required to put out a fire or working 

out how long the air in the breathing apparatus 

will last before entering a burning building. 

Personal Finance 

Janet Warren talked about her love of Maths and showed the variety of Maths that surrounds us in our 

everyday lives. She started with some probability, talking about the lottery being a 1 in 14 million chance of 

„being lucky‟, compared with the same odds of being diagnosed with cancer in the next seven days as „it 

will never be me‟. 

Students looked at a pay slip and the different calculations required to produce it, including income tax and 

national insurance deductions. They also looked at aspects of saving and borrowing money and the 

impact of interest rates on these. 

Janet showed students the importance of understanding their personal finances as they start to join the 

world of work. 

Uvintegration 

Uvintegration develop and manufacture specialist UV lights for high quality print machines. Jason Smith, 

Technical Director showed students the types of Mathematical problems they are faced with in their 

business. What was surprising to students was the fact that most of the day to day calculations can be 

solved with GCSE level Maths. 

Newsletter 5

Solaflair (Renewable Energy Consultants) 

Lin MacDonald and Rob Worthy came from Solaflair, a local consultancy, supporting business and 

individuals to monitor and save electricity costs. Students saw firsthand how much energy different 

appliances used, using ICT to track the watts being used and observing the reduction as each appliance 

was turned off. 

They then had an activity to calculate 

how much a small business wastes, in 

terms of both electricity and money, by 

leaving various pieces of equipment on or 

on standby out of office hours – 

approximately £500 per year. 

There was plenty of opportunity for 

discussion about the right kinds of bulbs 

and the impact of small changes that 

each of us can make. 

Oxford Radcliffe Hospital 

Pete Male from Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals showed students the importance of Maths in hospitals and they 

calculated possible doses of drugs needed for new born babies. They learned that the dosage is 

dependent on the baby‟s weight and how critical it is to be accurate. Students also learned about current 

IT developments in the NHS. 

Darke & Taylor Electrical Contractors 

Steve Ravenscroft explained to the group how he had fallen into his line of work by accident when a 

company had sent letters to his school asking if any leavers would like to „join them to become a trainee‟. 

Steve showed students how he uses Maths and ICT at work, including for quotations. He reinforced the 

message that Maths helps you to work things out. He explained that you may never visit these types of 

equations again, but in the process you have trained your brain „how to..‟ He made the parallel between life 

and mathematical problem solving, assembling known facts to work out unknowns and believes that „you 

will ultimately get paid according to the complexity of the things you can work out.‟ 

Liz Hounsell – Careers & Work Experience Manager and Jackie Fairchild – Assistant Headteacher 

(Specialist Schools) & Mathematics Faculty Leader 

Newsletter 6

Year 9 Enrichment – Maths and Design and Technology 

During the enrichment week, we undertook 2 challenges that combined Maths and D&T. 

One of the challenges looked at the speed that balloons travel and how you can make them more 

aerodynamic. Tasks ranged from making a sausage balloon travel down a wire to making a balloon 

powered vehicle, and a way of using a balloon to lift a ping pong ball. Students measured distance 

travelled and time taken to work out the average speed of their balloon vehicle. Some of the rocket 

balloons travelled the length of the classroom, and some of them lifted a ping pong ball as high as the room 

of the new DT block. 

The second challenge looked at how the average speed of a buggy changed when the angle of the travel 

changes. This involved rolling a buggy down a slope at varying angles and measuring time and distance to 

look at the average speed, and how this changed as the angle of the slope and the length of the slope 

differs. 

The second element to this task was to make a roll cage to 

fit inside the buggy to protect an egg as the buggy crashed 

at the bottom of the slope. Some students managed to 

achieve near vertical drops of their roll cage from heights 

of 6 metres or more and the egg was still intact. 

All of the students in their groups recorded the 

measurements and speeds into a table, they then used 

formulas to determine the average speed of the vehicles 

and plot the results onto a graph. 

Questionnaire feedback showed that most students really 

enjoyed the session. 

Simon James –Design & Technology Faculty Leader/Jackie Fairchild – Assistant Headteacher 

(Specialist Schools) & Mathematics Faculty Leader 

Design & Technology Faculty News 

Hospitality/Catering 

May Enrichment week was time for the Year 9 Hospitality/Catering students to undergo their first Practical 

exam. The exams stretched over 4 days to accommodate all 43 students and absence was minimal. The 

students were very organised, calm and focussed. They demonstrated lots of skills and flair in their tasks 

and produced some wonderful dishes. The students conducted themselves in a very professional manner 

and were a credit to themselves and the school. 

Mrs Kirk and Ms Gable would like to extend their thanks to Parents/Carers for their support of their children 

in enabling them to have the ingredients for their exams. No doubt there was plenty of emotional support 

behind the scenes too!! Our thanks are also extended to our wonderful Curriculum Support staff with their 

encouragement and help – in particular Mrs Jane Humphreys. 

FOOD CLUB – Tuesday Food Club will continue right up to the end of term. 

YOUNG CARERS FOOD CLUB will run for 2 more sessions – students should keep their eye on the 

Bulletin!!! 

Look out for our Year 10 Caterers – they will be undertaking an Event-based task in late June – at the start 

of Activities Week – WATCH THIS SPACE!!! 

Fiona Gable – Assistant Faculty Leader, Design & Technology 

Newsletter 7

Holiday and Community Events 

Families from Gosford Hill School and the Partnership Primaries came together at Gosford Hill School once again 

during the June holiday to take part in a variety of family fun activity sessions. 

Flying Things and Summer Seeds 

Families created lots of beautiful butterflies and birds and planted all sorts of delicious vegetables at this busy session 

led by Flora Bain from Oxford University Museums. All of the crafts at this session involved recycling everyday 

objects – even the plant pots were created from old newspapers! 

The birds were constructed from plastic drink bottles and colourful plastic bags, with bendy canes being manipulated 

into suitable shapes to form the wings and feet. The butterfly wings were also shaped by bending and fixing the 

canes, though this had to be done very precisely to make sure both wings in each pair of wings was of equal size and 

the same shape as the other one! Both pairs of wings were then covered in bright tissue paper and decorated with 

symmetrical patterns made from sparkly paper. Families got messy constructing their own biodegradable flower pots 

and filling them with compost, then planting sugar snap peas, runner beans and other vegetables. Everyone 

designed labels for their pots to make sure that they will remember what they are growing once the seeds start to 

sprout! Flora also brought along some beautiful butterflies, stuffed birds and a brazil nut pod from the museums, and 

everyone went home with some great models. 

Planting the seeds! A beautiful bird! 

“I think my daughter most enjoyed looking at and touching the owls and woodpecker and trying to make a butterfly 

look like the Raja Brook. She also looks forward to eating the sugar snap peas she planted!” 

“Great fun again, many thanks. Our favourite was making the birds and we are looking forward to our seeds growing!” 

“My 5 year old really enjoyed it – he liked planting the seeds the best, he sat really engrossed in making the bird and 

butterfly and was really proud of them. My 9 year old says “I loved it, I hope I can come again. I loved making things 

and I hope my plant will grow.” 

Yoga Bugs and Yoga‟d Up 

Families learnt yoga poses and exercises with a world cup 

theme at this popular session! The Yoga Bugs danced samba 

like the Brazilians, rowed down the Mississippi like the 

Americans and surfed like the Australians, before continuing 

around the world on a variety of adventures incorporating 

giants, counting and lots of yoga positions! 

Yoga‟d Up families “travelled” around the world by plane, boat and rowing boat (all yoga positions!) and learnt animal 

inspired poses for each country they travelled to, such as crocodile, koala, kangaroo, dragonfly, cat and downward 

dog (again all real yoga poses!) There was plenty of balancing involved, and even some counter balancing! Yoga‟d 

Up families played team games with each person manoeuvring under the “dogs” and over the “cats” to reach the 

finishing line and Yoga Bugs also played a variation of this game, using footballs instead of themselves! Both groups 

came together to play a lively game of crab football and finished up with some gentle relaxation and breathing 

exercises so everyone went home well exercised, but also chilled out! 

“We really enjoyed this activity, 

the adventures were fun and 

engaging. We would like to join a 

class!” 

“We really enjoyed it. Thank you 

– a lovely thing to do with your 

child.” 

←Counter balancing! Crab football!→ 

Jilli Rivett – Extended Services Program Manager 

Surfing! 

Shaping the butterfly wings! 

Newsletter 8

English Faculty News 

John Townsend Visit 

Thanks to the prize money won in last year‟s Reading Connects competition, we have been able to 

organise for John Townsend (a renowned writer of over 100 books for young people) to visit Gosford on 

Thursday 8 th July to work with many of our students. 

John Townsend‟s intriguing and accessible non-fiction books are very popular amongst Gosford Hill 

students. Our Library stocks over 75 of his titles, which cover a wide range of grizzly subjects from 

Incredible Arachnids and Crime Scenes to Mysteries of the Deep and Nasty Bugs and Ghastly Medicine. 

Whatever subject he‟s writing about, he specialises in “short, enticing reads aimed at switching any reader 

on to text”. 

During his visit to Gosford, John Townsend will be running workshops, answering questions from our 

budding writers and giving presentations on some of his specialist subjects. Over the coming weeks we will 

also be holding a tutor group quiz and launching an exciting competition, giving pupils the chance to win a 

special lunch with the author, as well as a signed book. So make sure you look out for John Townsend 

related events, and why not check out some of his gruesome books in our school Library? 

Ben Whittaker – English Faculty 

Year 9 → Year 10 English Courses 

Students moving into Year 10 in September will be beginning two new English GCSE courses. This is an 

exciting national change to the English Language and Literature curriculum and it is still our intention for 

students to complete the two GCSEs over the two year course. 

One major change to the new GCSEs is that coursework as it was known has been replaced by Controlled 

Assessments. This will mean that all coursework will be completed in classes in exam conditions and will 

not be taken home to be completed. 

In order to prepare our students for the new style of assessments we have been practising this type of 

assessment in lessons and I am impressed with the way that students have responded to both the planning 

stages of the task and the assessments themselves. 

As we head towards the summer we will also be focusing on many of the new skills required for the new 

GCSEs to give students a solid grounding for when they begin the new courses. Students in Year 9 have 

shown great maturity and have grasped the opportunity to begin GCSE-style work this year. Well done 

Year 9! 

Sarah Witney – English Faculty Leader 

Did you know that each human is thought to 

eat eight spiders in their lifetime? Or, that 

tattoos have been found on ancient mummies 

in tombs in Egypt? Or even, that the word 

barbeque may come from the French term ‘de 

barbe et queue’ (‘from beard to tail’), meaning 

an animal is cooked whole? 

Well John Townsend does… 

Newsletter 9

Bookaid 

Thank you to all students and parents who supported the Bookaid charity on World Book Day. Forms from 

all four Houses took part in a sponsored read to raise money. We collected a total of almost £50 which 

will help to send books to libraries all over Kenya. A special well done to Miss Evans' form who raised the 

most money on the day! 

Sarah Witney – English Faculty Leader 

Revision Sessions 

During the GCSE exam season, the English Faculty have been offering a variety of study sessions to 

support students' revision. Students have been able to attend 'quick tips' sessions for fifteen minutes prior 

to their exam. The sessions have been successful for many students in preparing their thoughts 

and settling any last minute nerves. 

Longer hourly revision sessions have also been run by staff and we thank all students who made the effort 

to attend. We are sure their hard work will pay off and be reflected in their GCSE results! 

Beckie Hammond – English Faculty 

Social Science Faculty News 

Year 7 Visits during May Enrichment Week. 

Over 2 days in May, all of Year 7 visited two places of worship and stepped back in time to 1471 at 

Warwick Castle. 

With good weather over the two 

days, we were able to enjoy all that 

Warwick Castle had to offer. The 

wall walk around the parapets and 

towers of the castle give a wonderful 

view of the oldest parts of the castle 

including the original motte. In 

addition to the impressive buildings, 

students got to see an archery 

display, the full scale replica trebuchet working, a falconry display and follow the 

story of the Earl of Warwick in 1471 as he decided which of the two warring 

factions to support to be king. 

Students said “I really liked climbing the tower as you got to see the whole castle”, “The archer split a boy‟s 

cap in two with an arrow”, “It was good seeing how big the whole thing was”. 

As a second visit on a second day, Year 7 were also able to enhance their knowledge and understanding 

of places of worship, timed to complement their assessment on the same theme. First, a visit to a purpose 

built Gurdwara (Sikh Temple) in Leamington. It is an enormous building, built with funds raised from within 

the Sikh community to suit all their worship and community needs. We had a guided tour around the 

building and there was a presentation by the Sikhs about their beliefs and 

how Sikhs helped during the first and 

Second World Wars. They had 

exhibition pictures showing the history of 

Sikhism. We were shown different 

worship halls; some contained the holy 

book, the Guru Granth Sahib, which is 

put on a throne and treated with great 

respect. We were asked to cover our 

heads, wash our hands and to remove 

our shoes as a sign of respect while we 

were in the building. 

Newsletter 10

The Gurdwara were very generous to us. They did not charge us for the 

visit and many were offered Kara prashad (a sweet mixture) or a sweet 

while in the worship hall. We were also offered refreshments in the 

Langar (kitchen). They also gave us several brochures about the 

Gurdwara for our school library. 

Then we went on to Coventry to see the new 

cathedral there. Built in the grounds of the ruins of 

the original cathedral that was destroyed during a 

bombing raid in 1941, the new building has an 

obvious and over-riding theme of peace, 

reconciliation and unity. Built for the people of 

Coventry, not just Christians, it is packed full of art 

work, tapestries, paintings and amazing stained 

glass windows. You cannot fail to be moved by at 

least one of them. It was a truly peaceful place, with 

lots of stimuli for reflection. On the tour we were able 

to learn about different design ideas and 

contributions people made to help rebuild the 

Cathedral. It is a perfect example of how to design a modern place of worship, 

which was just right to help Year 7 with their assessment. 

We were allowed to take pictures of the special design features of the cathedral including the Altar 

tapestry, stained glass windows and the font that was made out of a rock from Jesus‟ birth place. In all it 

was an interesting day and our thanks go to the places of worship for allowing us to visit. 

Some comments from students were: 

“I would have liked to have the curry” “I would have liked more time in the Cathedral”. 

“I learned that you were not allowed to point your feet at the holy book” 

“I enjoyed seeing the decorations around the holy book” 

“I advise you to go on the trip as you get to look around different places of worship which you might not get 

to look around otherwise” 

Year 8 Gemma’s Wardrobe 

Again, in Enrichment Week, Year 8 saw a 

play about Gemma, a young girl who 

makes the wrong choice when things get 

tough and ends up in trouble through 

drug misuse. The play was followed up 

by a workshop in which the students 

thought about status and self esteem. 

Some even got to sing, as the actors got 

the students involved in role play about 

assertiveness. The message of the day 

was one of the importance of having self 

worth to be able to more easily withstand life‟s challenges. 

Students said of the play and workshop: “It was very realistic, they played 

real people in real situations”. “It was good that we got to join in and act” “I 

liked the Jeremy Kyle bit” 

Newsletter 11

Mock Election 

To allow all students to see how an election works, we held a mock election in school to correspond with 

the General Election in May. Students had to register to vote. Many did not and then found that come 

Election Day, they could not cast their vote – just as in the real world. 

Interestingly, no students wanted to represent the real political parties, but instead chose to set up their 

own parties. We had 5 candidates in all, who wrote a 10 point manifesto, held speeches at a hustings and 

created a party political broadcast. A big thank you and well done to them. Thank you to their support 

teams who helped them. Thank you to the teachers who helped out with candidates and to the Politics 

Boys who manned the polling station in the dining hall. 

The results are as follows in per centage of the vote won:- 

Connor Boyle – Clarkson Party 13.8%. Mollie Elliston – Princesses in 

Parliament 28.4%. Harriet Marshall- BPR 5.7% . Julius Muraga – Hakuna 

Matata 46.4%. Martin Price – independent 5.7%. So Julius Muraga was 

declared the winner of the election. 

Best Homework Projects 

Year 7 History project 

The standard of essays explaining the changes to the power of the monarchy 

from 1066 to the present day was very high. The students' ability to analyse and explain reasons is already 

well developed. We had many excellent essays. The best four to be awarded the House points are: 

- Helen Dandridge 

- Sam Jones 

- Leanne Winfield 

- Chloe Yeung" 

Year 8 RPE Homework 

Year 8 completed a homework assessment task about a multi faith school in the city of Jerusalem. 

Students had 4 weeks to complete the work and there were several outstanding projects received from the 

students listed below. 

Chanee Alden, Mark Asman, Rachel M Barrett, Max Bensley Daniel Bigden, Michael Bray, Tom Brown, 

Martha Cook, Leah Court, John Crocket, Louise Cunningham, Harry Edgington, Charlie Groves, Beth 

Hawtin and Genevive Tomes. 

The four House winners who will receive a certificate and gain points for their respective houses are: 

Fourth place: Thames – Max Bensley, Third Place Evenlode – Michael Bray, Second place Cherwell – 

Genevive Tomes, and First place: Windrush – Louise Cunningham. 

Congratulations to all. 

Year 8 History Homework in June 

This month, Year 8 are completing research projects into how life changed for ordinary people during the 

Second World War. They have been given guidance in lessons, and the instructions are on the learning 

platform in the social sciences learning space. Deadlines are slightly different for each class and range 

from end of June to beginning of July. We look forward to reading excellent and original work. 

Alison Driscoll –Social Sciences Faculty Leader 

Newsletter 12

Physical Education Faculty News 

Rounders Report 

The Gosford Hill girls have been leading the way with rounders. There have regularly been 30+ pupils at 

training on a Tuesday and so far it has not been too disrupted with the weather! 

All of their hard work has paid off as we have managed to add THREE trophies to our cabinet! 

Year 10 

The Year 10 squad came joint 1 st in the North Oxon 

Rounders Tournament held at Bicester Community 

College on 4th May. They won all but one game in their 

group. Fantastic performances were seen from Laura 

Trafford at Bowler, Megan Burrows at backstop and 

Danielle Cotton for batting and excellent fielding. The 

team received certificates, medals and a trophy from Dr. 

Bizley. Well done girls! 

Squad: Megan Burrows (c), Laura Trafford, Abbi Rouse, 

Danielle Cotton, Sarah Burrows, Izzy Hosking, Rachel 

Oliver, Corinne Leach, Letishia Cripps. 

Year 10 Rounders Squad 

Year 9 

The Year 9 squad continued their unbeaten run by also winning the North Oxon Rounders tournament, 

held at Chenderit School on 11 th May. The tournament was set up in sections with two pools. We won all 

matches in our pool leaving BGN to play in the final. We batted first and scored a fantastic 9 ½ runs. It 

came very close and was a tight final with BGN scoring very well, they reached 7½ in the allotted time 

leaving the year 9 squad victorious! Fantastic performances were seen from Kasey Butler for batting and 

excellent fielding, and Georgia Guy for backstop and captaincy. The team also received certificates, 

medals and a trophy from Dr. Bizley. 

Squad: Georgia Guy (c), Kasey Butler, Emma Richards, Chloe Smith, Deepika Gudavalli, Shannon Gray, 

Zoe Osborne, Megan Greenway, Erin Mahoney, Chantelle Vircavs. 

Year 8 

The Year 8 squad finished off the winning streak on 18 th 

May at BGN. Once again, the competition was split into 

two sections and the Year 9 team beat all other schools 

in their group going confidently into the final, once again 

against BGN. We batted first and got to a good total. 

BGN then went into bat and had five minutes to beat our 

score. It came very close and we won by ½ a rounder. 

Some excellent performances from Nat Morris – batting 

and fielding and Tor Rodway for a fantastic backstop. 

The squad received a medal, certificate and medal for the 

trophy cabinet. Well done! 

Squad: Nat Morris (c), Tor Rodway, Tori McLean, 

Lauren Cook, Hayley Clements, Sophie Woolford, Charlie 

Groves, Lizzie Nobbs, Lucy Moore and Chanee Holden. Year 8 Rounders Squad 

Rounders club with continue on a Tuesday after school until the end of term 3.20pm-4.30pm (change at the 

Sports Hall) 

Vicki Rose – Physical Education Faculty 

Newsletter 13

Under 16 Girls’ Basketball 

The under 16 girls‟ basketball team played in their last season together 

before the players move on to different things. What a season it was too! 

There were 5 group stage games to be played against schools from the 

county. The girls are in the squad gifted with natural athleticism, and play a 

sound tactical game to limit the other teams‟ offence. The girls sailed 

through the group phase, beating every school in comfortable fashion, 

sometimes by 20 point margins. Cheney School were also doing the same as 

Gosford, winning every game they played, so the showdown was set for the 

final in Abingdon. Both 

teams came out strong, but 

it would be Gosford‟s 

defence in the form of 

Annette Cooper, Georgie 

Richings, Emily Moore and 

Rebecca Smith that would 

be the telling factor. 

Gosford dominated the entire game, but in the last 5 

minutes Cheney went on a run and with 5 seconds 

remaining were down by one point. It would again fall to 

defence, and in the dying seconds the Gosford defence 

would force Cheney into taking a bad shot that gave 

Gosford a 31 – 30 victory. A fantastic season and a huge 

well done to the team. 

Team: Annette Cooper, Georgie Richings, Emily Moore, Rebecca Smith, Charlie Groves, Sammy Groves, 

Annalise Green, Hayley Pollard. 

David Emsden – Physical Education Faculty Leader 

SSCO News 

Top Link Conference Day 

Ally Broome and Annette Cooper Gosford‟s 

Ambassadors for Sport and Georgia Guy and Max 

Jones were invited to attend the Top Link Conference 

Day at King Alfred‟s School Wantage in March. The 

aim of the day was to give the students the necessary 

skills and experience to support school sport in a 

variety of ways such as sports festivals, intra and inter 

competitions within the local schools and community. 

The competition they will target as the Top Link festival 

and will help to organise will be the primary cricket festival in May. 

The Conference began with an address from Alex Danson, a Great 

Britain and England hockey player who made her debut for England at 

the age of 16 and played recently in the Beijing Olympics. At the award 

ceremony at the end of the festival Alex presented Georgia with the 

award for the best leader in her team and Max the award for the best 

team player in his. 

Newsletter 14

West Kidlington’s Year 4 Intra Netball Festival 

Students from Gosford followed a Junior Organiser Netball 

course in Term 4 and one of the requirements was for them 

to have experienced the running of a festival. On the damp 

afternoon of 29 th April, they helped to organise a First Step 

netball intra festival for Year 4 children from West Kidlington 

School. 

For the first part of the afternoon the students led the children 

through a variety of skill practices and taught them the rules 

of the game. To round off the festival the children played a 

few matches against each other. 

Furthering Club Links with Gosford All Blacks 

We are very fortunate this year to have Andy Baulch working 

with Year One and Two children to promote tag rugby 

through multi skills in our primary schools. He hopes that by 

ensuring the children enjoy his lessons they will join Gosford 

All Blacks. By the end of this year all five Kidlington primary 

schools will have benefited from his excellent coaching. 

Newsletter 15

Year Two 2010 Multi Skills Festival 

Twenty leaders from Gosford Hill brilliantly managed one hundred and twenty six Year Two children from 

our four local primary schools. The children followed a circuit of twelve stations based on balance, coordination 

and agility. Each station was manned by one or two of the leaders. 

Cricket Coaching 

Funding from Sport Unlimited made it possible for the Kidlington Partnership to receive coaching from 

Banbury Cricket Club for ten weeks during the summer terms. Luke Ryan coached in Gosford Hill and all 

five primary schools during curriculum time. He also ran two separate after school clubs for girls and boys 

at Gosford and for two of our primary schools. This was fantastic preparation for the children attending the 

Primary Kwik Cricket Festival held at the end of May. 

Link with Kirtlington Golf Club 

Andy Taylor, Professional at 

Kirtlington Golf Club, has 

once again been in our 

Partnership encouraging the 

children to take up Tri-golf. 

Newsletter 16

Kidlington Kwik Cricket Festival 2010 

We were very fortunate to have perfect weather conditions for the 2010 Kwik 

Cricket Festival hosted by Kidlington Cricket Club at Stratfield Brake Sports 

Ground. Nearly 200 Year 5 and 6 children from three primary schools took 

part. 

The Festival was played in 3 

sections: Year 6 Boys; Year 5 

Boys; Year 5 and 6 Girls. Our 

pitches were prepared for us 

by John Moss and Paul 

Whitford, members of 

Kidlington Cricket Club. 

Leaders from Gosford Hill 

School officiated on the day. 

The winner of the Year 6 Boys competition was Edward Feild A, closely followed by North Kidlington A. 

Edward Feild A was the winner of the Year 5 Boys competition with North Kidlington A team in second 

place. 

There were 10 teams competing in the Year 5 and 6 Girls 

section. These were divided into two groups with the A 

and B teams competing in one and the C and D teams in 

the other. The winner of the A and B competition was 

North Kidlington A, with West Kidlington A in second 

place. The winner of the C and D competition was Edward 

Feild C followed by North Kidlington D. 

. 

Skipping Club at North Kidlington 

Three Skipping Leaders, Sammy Groves, Emma Dalton and Susannah House from Gosford Hill ran a club 

during term 5 for North Kidlington School. There was a wide range of ability between the children but the 

Leaders managed well to occupy them teaching them a variety of skills from simple skipping to double 

dutch. 

Pam Selby – School Sport Co-ordinator 

Newsletter 17

Modern Foreign Languages Faculty News 

Languages Farewell – Au Revoir & Auf Wiedersehen 

Students in Years 9 to13 were sad to say goodbye to our 

two Foreign Languages Assistants at the end of last term: 

Audrey from France and Julia from Germany. They had 

been with us since the beginning of October, helping with 

oral work, bringing a breath of another way of life into the 

classroom, building good relationships with our students 

and giving them confidence in their ability to speak French 

and German. 

They have both been wonderful ambassadors for their 

countries. As well as working with the students in the 

classroom or on a one-to one basis for A level, they 

prepared high quality resources which will benefit future 

learners at Gosford. 

Working with our foreign assistants each year is one of the perks of being a languages teacher, and 

Audrey and Julia have been exceptionally committed, and effective teachers, as well as really delightful 

company. We will miss them, but wish them Bonne Chance and Alles Gute for the future. 

Jane Osborne – Modern Foreign Languages Acting Faculty Leader 

Governor News 

This time of year sees the Governors and management of the school focusing on money matters. Having 

received formal notification from the County Council of the available budget for the next financial year, the 

Governors‟ meeting in April received a comprehensive report from the Headteacher and Business Manager 

on the overall position. 

The position for last financial year (ending 31 st March) was a small surplus on the total budget, largely the 

result of some extra grant income for the Sixth form and some studious budget management. This surplus 

can be carried over to this year. 

As has been reported elsewhere, there was also a balance held on the sweatshirt account which has 

enabled the financial support of the introduction of the new uniform. 

But the financial position for all schools in 2010/11 and future years is not so “rosy”. As such, the school 

needs to plan for reduced spending. As part of the school‟s development, a review of the management 

and support staff structure has been undertaken. A consultation process was carried out with staff and the 

unions and the new structures have recently been approved by Governors. 

Note that, at present, it is being assumed that the incoming Coalition Government will continue to protect 

the national education and schools budgets and that there will not be more bad news – but we must wait 

and see! 

That aside, Governors have every confidence that the day-to-day financial affairs of the school are in good 

hands and are being well managed by the Senior Leadership Team. 

Turning to other matters, at the last meeting of Governors we said goodbye and grateful thanks to Tony 

Middleton, who has served as a Governor for many years and, in particular, has been a stalwart member of 

the Student Disciplinary Committee. 

Finally, at this time of year, students, teachers and many other staff are, of course, very focused on 

external exams. The Governors wish all those involved well and look forward to the best results possible. 

David Wilkins – Parent Governor 

Newsletter 18

Year 13 Presentation and Awards Evening – Wednesday 12 th May 

The annual Sixth Form Presentation and Awards evening took place on Wednesday 12th May. It was a 

wonderful occasion which formally marked the Year 13 students leaving Gosford Hill School. The guest speaker 

was Maurice White the former Deputy Head who is now retired. He addressed the large audience, which 

contained parents, students, teachers and many familiar faces making it a memorable experience for all 

concerned and it was a delight to have him back to Gosford Hill School. 

Record of Achievement Awards were presented to all students by Form Tutors with the help of the Chair of the 

Parish Council David Betts and afterwards subject awards were presented to students by Headteacher Dr 

Bizley. Special recognition Awards went to Natalie Fung, Connie James and Oliver Wilkins who jointly won the 

Ron Groves Award for Academic Excellence, the Proprio Motu Award for Academic Progress went to Rachel 

Evans, Nicola Fairgrieve and Rayman Lam, The Roger Sargent Award for Outdoor Education to Rebecca 

Coates and The Making a Difference Award for Community Service within Gosford Hill School jointly to Reena 

Sodadasi, Rebecca Coates and Jamie Brooks. Dr Bizley also presented the Special Headteacher‟s Award to 

Head boy and girl Lewis Holifield and Phoebe Gardner. 

The evening culminated in the annual presentation of the prestigious Alderman Wise Award. This was made by 

former Deputy Head and current member of the Parish Council Maurice White. He presented the shortlist of 

candidates who were Nathan Sinclair, Connie James, Gemma Beardsley and Sarah Crockett. The overall joint 

winners were Nathan Sinclair for his work with the Youth Parliament and Connie James for her outstanding work 

with young people including mentoring and church programmes. 

The evening finished with Assistant Head of Sixth Form Cereta Drewett giving her reflections on the year group 

and also a humorous finale on the students‟ memories of Gosford Hill School. This was in the shape of a DVD 

produced by Jamie Brooks. The evening ended with food and drinks and the social mixing of parents, students, 

guests and teachers with many taking advantage of photo opportunities. The evening was a fitting rite of 

passage for a multi talented Year group. 

2010 Award Winners 

Art Jessie Keen 

Biology Rachel Evans 

Business Lee Smith 

Chemistry Natalie Fung 

Drama Yazmin Goodgame 

Design & Technology Tom Hounsell 

English Lauren Green 

English Literature Jennie Lee 

French Hazel Irving 

Geography Oliver Wilkins 

German Tom Higgs 

Government & Politics Ellis Wiggins 

History Ellis Wiggins 

Information Technology Sarah Crockett 

Law Shannon Weston 

Mathematics Natalie Fung 

Media Studies Tyshea Holden 

Performing Arts Tyshea Holden Yazmin Goodgame 

Philosophy & Ethics Ellis Wiggins 

Photography Anna Thompson 

Physical Education Lewis Fraser 

Physics Natalie Fung 

Psychology Lucy Wild 

Sociology Hannah Fraser 

The Proprio Motu Award Rachel Evans Nicola Fairgrieve Rayman Lam 

The Ron Groves Award Natalie Fung Connie James Oliver Wilkins 

The Roger Sargent Award Rebecca Coates 

The Making A Difference Award Jamie Brooks Rebecca Coates Reena Sodadasi 

The Sports Award Emma Trafford 

The Performing Arts Award Nathan Sinclair 

The Headteacher‟s Special Award Pheobe Gardner Lewis Holifield 

The Alderman Wise Memorial Award Joint Winners: Connie James Nathan Sinclair 

Newsletter 19

Other recent Sixth Form Achievements: 

Felicity White has gained a place at the extremely competitive Eton Summer School. 

Marie Hamilton has earned a place on British American Drama Association Shakespeare Summer School 

to be held at Balliol College, Oxford, from 10th July to 8th August. This is a great achievement, as her 

fellow participants will be aspiring young actors from the US and among her teachers will be distinguished 

Shakespearean actors from London and Stratford. Marie is the only successful applicant from the UK. 

Cameron Woods has gained selection for Denmark at Rugby Union. 

Natalie Fung has been offered a place to study Physics at Somerville College, Oxford University. 

Congratulations to all four students. 

Paul Catling – Head of Sixth Form 

How to Order your New School Uniform 

Our school uniform is available from Simply Schoolwear, a national online business that provides uniform 

with free name tagging and free delivery direct to parents. 

You can order your school uniform from them in a number of ways: 

- Online from www.simplyschoolwear.co.uk 

- Call freephone 0800 404 6644 Monday to Friday 8.30am-5.30pm (you can leave a message outside 

these hours) 

- By post at their new address: 9a Regal Way, Faringdon, Oxfordshire SN7 7BX 

- You can visit their uniform shop (address as above): opening hours are Monday to Friday 9am- 

5.30pm and Saturday mornings during the summer holidays (dates and times tbc - please check 

website for latest details). 

Important information from Simply Schoolwear 

- We are unable to accept exchanges or refunds for uniform that has been name tagged 

- Size samples are held at your school for you to try before you order 

- If you are unsure of sizing, please request that your free name tags are not attached to your uniform 

order 

- For full details of our returns policy, visit our website at www.simplyschoolwear.co.uk 

freephone 0800 404 6644 info@simplyschoolwear.co.uk www.simplyschoolwear.co.uk 

Newsletter 20

Please note the schools have no input into the running of any of the independent organisations listed and cannot recommend or endorse them. This leaflet is 

only supplying information about their existence and users should make their own enquiries about the safety and suitability of organisations listed. Every effort 

has been made to ensure that details are correct at time of printing, however programmes may be subject to change at any time. 

Animation Station @ Exeter Hall Summer Programme 

Activity Venue Day and Time Age Cost 

Crazy Cartoons 

Make your own crazy cartoons using traditional hand 

drawn Disney style animation - and bring them to life 

on the movie screen! A must for budding animators 

and Manga fans. 

Amazing Animation 

Try your hand at this amazing stop frame animation 

workshop as featured in Wallace and Gromit and 

Coraline. Learn to make animation magic using 

plasticine models, painted backgrounds and a 

soundtrack. 

Comic Book Week 

Ever wanted to try your hand at being the next 

budding graphic novelist and make stories to feature 

in your own book - now’s your chance! Using 

Comic Life software you can even use your own 

photos to tell the story and go home with the book. 

Digital Foto - Daze 

A one day fun and creative way of learning to use 

digital cameras to take exciting digital pictures for 

young people with a leading photo artist. Bring a 

camera or use one of ours! 

Digital Foto - Dreamz 

Learn how to turn your pictures into dream-like 

digital images using the latest Adobe Photoshop and 

iMac computers - and take home the prints! 

Jammin! 

Come along and make music or use samples to 

create your own music track to become the next big 

star! Use the very latest music technology. Bring 

your own instruments and lots of imagination - and 

mix it up with sound artist, Alex Hehir. 

Podcasting for Beginners 

Create your own movie and sound tracks for the 

WWW or iPod - and send them to your phone, iPod 

Touch, You Tube or WWW site using Apple 

software. 

Amazing Animation 

Create a Wallace and Gromit style stop frame 

animation just like the movies and impress your 

friends. Learn how to use plasticine and wire to 

create your own animated characters and 

backgrounds. 

Crazy Cut Out 

Learn to make Monty Python style stop frame 

animation. Create your characters on paper or in 

photos and bring them to life on screen. 

Exeter Hall 

Exeter Hall 

Exeter Hall 

Exeter Hall 

Exeter Hall 

Exeter Hall 

Exeter Hall 

Tuesday 27 to 

Wednesday 28 July, 

10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. 

Ring 01865 372143 

to book a place. 

Monday 2 to 

Tuesday 3 August, 

10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. 

Ring 01295 221803 


Tuesday 10 to 

Wednesday 11 August, 

10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. 

Ring 01865 372143 


Tuesday 17 August, 

10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. 


10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. 

Ring 01865 372143 


Thursday 19 August, 

10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. 

Ring 01295 221803 


Friday 20 August, 

10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. 

Ring 01295 221803 



10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. 

Thursday 26 August, 

10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. 

Ring 01865 372143 


Age 9 - 16 £25 for 2 days 

Age 9 - 16 

£25 for 2 days 

(with support 

from Cherwell 

District Council) 

Age 9 - 16 £25 for 2 days 

Age 9 - 13 £15 per session 

Age 11 - 16 

Age 11 - 16 

Age 9 - 14 

Age 9 - 13 

£15 

(with support from 

Cherwell District 

Council) 

£15 

(with support from 

Cherwell District 

Council) 

£15 per session 

Newsletter 21

Big Adventurers 

Camp Adventure 

01865 376368 

Activity Venue Day and Time Age Cost 

Youth Gym Sessions 

01865 376368 All newcomers must 

complete an induction - please contact 

the centre for induction times. 

Racket Sports 01865 376368 

Come & try squash, badminton, 

table tennis & short tennis, with 

instructors to help you! 

Cherwell District Council 

Youth Activators 

Cycling proficiency courses 

01865 376368 (Must have a 

roadworthy bike and a cycle helmet) 

Leisure Centre 



Kidlington 

Kidlington 

Yarnton 


Mega Bounce 01865 376368 Leisure Centre 

Wet and Wacky 01865 376368 

(children under 8 must be 

accompanied by an adult) 

Oxford United Soccer Courses 

01865 337525 

Premier Soccer Football 

Courses 01865 735898 / 07795 

342509 

Oxford School of Martial Arts 

Action courses 01865 370339 

enquiries@schoolofmartialarts.com 

White Star Performers 

Summer Stage School 07717 

837706 or e-mail 

whitestarperformers@hotmail.com 


Garden City 

Football Club 

Stratfield 

Brake 

Vida Health 

and Fitness 

Club 

St Thomas 

More School 

Mon to Fri, from 26 July to 27 August 

Full day 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. 

Short Day 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. or 

9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. 

Monday to Friday 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. 

and NEW for the summer holidays 

Mon to Fri 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. 

Monday 2 to Friday 6 August 


10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. 

Every Monday from 26 July to 30 Aug 

1:00 to 3:00 p.m. (Ron Groves Park) 

3:30 to 5:00 p.m. (Exeter Hall Park) 

5:30 to 7:00 p.m. (Rutten Lane Park) 

Monday 26 to Friday 30 July 


10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon each day 

Tues & Thurs 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. 

(during school holidays), also available 

every Saturday 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. 

Monday 26 July to Friday 27 August 

2:00 to 3:00 p.m., also available every 

Sunday, 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. 

Mon 26 to Fri 30 July, Mon 9 to Fri 13 

August, Mon 23 to Fri 27 August 

10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. 

Monday 2 to Thursday 5 August, 

10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. 

Mon 26 to Fri 30 July, Mon 23 to Fri 

27 August, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. 

Monday 9 to Wednesday 11 August, 

10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Performance 

on the final day - 3:30 to 4:00 p.m.) 

Age 8 to 12 

Full day £21.25 or 

£93.05 per week 

Short day £14 or 

£62.40 per week 

Age 12 to 15 £2.65 per session 

Age 8 to 15 

Age 11 to 16 FREE! 

Age 9+ 

Age 5 to 12 

Age 5 to 13, 

boys and girls, 

all abilities 

Age 5 to 13, 

boys and girls, 

all abilities 

Age 5 to 12 

Age 6 to 12 

Introductory price 

£25 

£30.05 for the 

course 

£2.55 

please book as 

spaces are limited 

Junior £2.55 

Adult £3.25 

OAP £2.15 

£45 for 5 days or 

£12 per day 

£35 for 4 days or 

£10 per day 

Cost TBC. 

Bookings from 1 

day to full week 

available. 

£55 for the course 

(discount for 

siblings) 

For more information about activities for young people check out www.activitiesoxfordshire.info 

International Gateway for Gifted Youth (IGGY juniors) www.iggyjuniors.org or 01295 780247 

Activity Venue Day and Time Age 

Is there anybody out there? 

An introduction to astronomy and the philosophy of science 

Online 16 to 19 July Age 8 to 12 

Don’t Worry Be Happy: Confidence workshop Online 16 to 19 July & 23 to 26 July Age 8+ 

In Search of the Yeti: An introduction to Cyptozoology Online 9 to 20 August Age 8 to 12 

Forensic Imagination: 

For young scientists, creative writers and critical thinkers 

Online 9 to 20 August Age 11 to 14 

The Da Vinci Group gifted programme Online All year round Age 7 to 14 

Newsletter 22

Activities Week Program 

It‟s Activities Week at Gosford Hill School from Mon 28 th June to Friday 2 nd July. Year 7 once again have the opportunity to go on the Marlow camp. Years 

8 and 9 will have a series of activities from which they can choose. Year 10 and 12 will have their own bespoke programme for the week. It‟s looking like a 

very exciting week, and we hope students benefit from learning in new ways and enjoy themselves. 

The table below shows the activities available to Year 8 and 9. All of the activities are open to both Years 8 and 9 unless otherwise stated. All trip costs are 

voluntary, but parents are reminded that if insufficient money is collected for a trip it may not go ahead. Year 8 and 9 students will be able to sign up for 

activities with their form tutors, although there are separate letters for the theme park trips. There will also be permission slips for the other trips. 

Monday 28th June Tuesday 29th June Wednesday 30th June Thursday 1st July Friday 2nd July 

Build your own amplifier and mini 

speaker system. (D&T) Cost: £4.00. 

15 places 

Make your own fashion accessories. 

(D&T) Cost: £5.00 15 places 

World Cup Challenge! - English 

as you've not done it before. 45 

places. 

Thames Walk 2- pack lunch, lots 

of water, sun cream and 

appropriate footwear required. 

Cost £4.00. 30 places 

Cook and make a traditional 

picnic. (D&T) Cost: £5.00. 30 

places 

Make your own fashion 

accessories. (D&T) Cost: 

£5.00 15 places 

Colour Chemistry. (Science) 30 places Ceramics workshop. 15 places Local History - 1 day option 

(Year 9). 15 places 

Stop Frame Animation. (Science) 60 

places 

Time Tunnel 1 (ICT) – creating a huge 

timeline to display in the ICT 

department & learning about the 

developments of ICT. 50 places 

Young Enterprise (Yr 9) 70 

places For: 9A Bu1. 9B Bu1, 9C 

Bu1 

Produce a young person's 

guide to Oxford in French or 

German. (Yr 9 - MFL) Visit Oxford, 

take photographs and go to a 

French cafe in Oxford. Two day 

course. Cost: bus fare and 

refreshments (bring a camera if 

you can). 50 places 

Local History - day two (Year 

9). 30 places 

Army Live! - a free coach trip to a 

major Army event with the chance 

to try out assault courses, vehicles 

and displays. Packed lunch 

needed. 47 places. 

Local History day 2 (Year 8). 45 

places 

Theme Park. (Yr 9) Coach and 

entry fee to pay. Approx 160 

places. 

Digital Graphics - using digital 

cameras you will learn about the 

rules of photography and how to 

manipulate images. (ICT) 30 

places. 

Yr 9 MFL - day two. 50 places. Maths - new and novel maths 

activities reflecting our specialism. 

45 places. 

Army Live! - a free coach trip to a 

major Army event with the chance 

to try out assault courses, vehicles 

and displays. Packed lunch 

needed. 47 places. 

Local History day 3 (Year 8 and 

9). 60 places 

„Games through Time’ & ‘Battle 

of the Games’ – learn about the 

history of games, create a basic 

game & fight it out in „Battle of the 

Games‟. (ICT) 45 places. 

Maths - new and novel maths 


75 places. 

Stop Frame Animation. (Science) 

50 places. 

Newsletter 23

Local History - 3 days (Year 8 

Monday, Thursday, Friday) and (Year 9 

Monday Wednesday Friday). Popular 3 

days of local history course - Bus fare 

and packed lunch needed. 60 places. 

Social Enterprising (Business Studies) 

35 places. 

World Cup Challenge! 

English as you've not done it before. 

45 places. 

Thames Walk 1- packed lunch, lots of 

water, sun cream and appropriate 

footwear required. Cost £4.00. 30 

places. 

Time Tunnel 2 – (ICT) adding 

historical points & connecting to 

the developments of ICT. 45 

places. 

Maths - new and novel maths 


75 places. 

Build your own amplifier and 

mini speaker system. (D&T) Cost: 

£4.00. 30 places. 

Theme Park. Yr 8. Coach and 

entry fee to pay. Approx: 160 

places. 

Digital Graphics - using digital 

cameras you will learn about the 

rules of photography and how to 

manipulate images. (ICT) 35 

places. 

Make your own fashion 

accessories. (D&T) Cost: £5.00. 

20 places. 

Build your own amplifier and 

mini speaker system. (D&T) Cost: 

£4.00. 20 places. 

Build your own robot buggy. 

(D&T) Cost: £7.00. 20 places. 

Cook and make a traditional 

picnic. (D&T) Cost: £5.00. 15 

places 

Build your own robot buggy. 

(D&T) Cost: £7.00. 15 places. 

Build your own amplifier and mini 

speaker system. (D&T) Cost: 

£4.00. 15 places 

Music workshop. 20 places 

Music workshop. 15 places. Dance Workshop - remake a 

music video. 20 places 

Year 10 will follow the following program: 

Monday 28th June Tuesday 29th June Wednesday 30th June Thursday 1st July Friday 2nd July 

Maths - whole year group Science 

Science for those 

Yr 10 Young Enterprise 

Thorpe Park Trip. 

D&T Practical Exam for 25 D&T Practical Exam for students who missed it for 10B Bu1, 10B Bu2, 

students 

25 students 

Tuesday. 

10D Bu2. 

Soc Science controlled Remaining students in 7 Habits Day for 

GCSE assessment for 50 classes Ar4; Bz4, D4, 

remaining students. 

students. 

Pf4, Sp4, SS4. 

Museum and culture 

trip for Mr Goldring’s 

class. 

C. Hall 

14 th June 2010 

Newsletter 24

G.H.S.A. Summer Celebration 

on 

Thursday 1 July 2010 

from 7.30p.m.– 9.45p.m. in the School Hall 

CELEBRATING TALENT 

WITHIN SCHOOL 

ENTRANCE FREE 

BBQ PROVIDED BY LOCAL BUTCHER 

SOFT DRINKS AVAILABLE 

RAFFLE 

G.H.S.A. Regd. Charity No. 1063971 

Newsletter 25

CALENDAR & OTHER INFORMATION 

24 June Lords Cricket Trip 7 July Year 6 Transfer Day 

25 June Year 13 Ball – Barceló Oxford Hotel, 

7.30 – 11.30pm 

8 July Year 6 Transfer Evening 

26 June – Year 12 & 13 Morocco Geography 13 July 

4 July Field Trip 

28 June – 

1 July 

Year 7 Marlow Camp 16 July Newsletter Issued 

28 June – 

2 July 

Enrichment Week 19 July Sports Day 

5-9 July Celebration Week 21 July Term 6 Ends 12.30pm 

HOLIDAY DATES 2009-2010 

Term 6 

Monday 7 June – Wednesday 21 July 

HOLIDAY DATES 2010-2011 

Term 1 

Friday 3 September – Friday 22 October 

Term 2 

Monday 1 November – Friday 17 December 

Term 3 

Wednesday 5 January – Friday 18 February 

Term 4 

Monday 28 February – Friday 8 April 

Term 5 

Tuesday 26 April – Friday 27 May (Monday 2 May – Bank Holiday) 

Term 6 

Monday 6 June – Thursday 21 July 

OTHER DATES 2010-2011 

Wednesday 1 September – INSET Day 

Thursday 2 September – ILP Day 

Monday 27 & Tuesday 28 September – INSET Days 

Tuesday 4 January 2011 – INSET Day 

CONTACTING YOUR SCHOOL 

Your views are very important to us, whether they‟re about your child, school activities or wider community 

issues. For all contact details telephone School Reception. 

If you have a concern about your child contact: 

The subject teacher - if it concerns learning in a particular subject. Contact Reception to leave a 

message or alternatively, if you have internet access, you can ask for their email address. 

The Head of Faculty - if you wish to discuss any matter in greater detail. 

Their Form Tutor - if it is a more general issue about your child‟s well being. 

Staff will endeavour to phone you back as soon as possible. All information is treated in the strictest of 

confidence. If you want to raise an issue or query about a more general area of school activity or a 

community matter contact a Parent Governor. (Telephone numbers available from School Reception) 

SCHOOL RECEPTION: Telephone: 01865 374971 

SCHOOL EMAIL: office.4060@gosford-hill.oxon.sch.uk 

SCHOOL WEBSITE: www.gosford-hill.oxon.sch.uk 

ABSENCE LINE: Telephone: 01865 855378 (please use this number to report absences) 

or 

email – absence.4060@gosford-hill.oxon.sch.uk 

The Parent Support Site has information on supporting your child(ren) in a number of curriculum areas. 

Newsletter 26

Inspector Praises School - Gosford Hill School

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